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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25296382">(So If You've Got A Minute, Why Don't We Go) Somewhere Only We Know</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Achilles_Heel/pseuds/Achilles_Heel'>Achilles_Heel</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Percy Jackson and the Olympians &amp; Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Child Abuse, F/F, Help I'm So Tired, I REFUSE To Tag Anymore, I'm Bad At Tagging, Reyna Needs A Hug, Self-Harm, Suicide Attempt, thalia needs a hug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 11:21:20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>10,787</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25296382</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Achilles_Heel/pseuds/Achilles_Heel</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Reyna had never been sure what to think of soulmates, especially due to the fact that any pain you felt would be broadcasted to them, and vice verse. It seemed unfair to Reyna. She already had enough pain in her life, with ghosts and spirits, witches and pirates, wolves and Titans. But once her soulmate dies, Reyna doesn't care about the pain anymore. She even inflicts it upon herself, to feel something, anything. She never met her soulmate, but she sang them to sleep. Death. Whatever. Reyna's waiting for love that she thinks will never come.</p><p>Thalia never had time for soulmates. She felt their pain. She gave them pain. Her father, who is a god, left. Her mother was responsible for her brother, Jason, leaving. Now it was her turn. At 12 years old, she made her way into the world, the most dangerous place known to demigods like herself. Especially for a child of Zeus. Luckily, she finds allies in places high and low. Luke and Annabeth and Grover. They become her family, and she would die for them. She does die for them. She never expected to find love, but when love tackled her to the ground, she didn't know how to react.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson, Hazel Levesque/Frank Zhang, Jason Grace/Piper McLean, Thalia Grace/Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>100</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. One Minute I Held The Key, The Next The Walls Were Closed On Me</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/officialbookwizard/gifts">officialbookwizard</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>TRIGGER WARNINGS: Self-Harm, Suicide Attempt, Child Abuse</p><p>Hey, so this is my first ever fic, so don't expect it to be too good. Any and all comments are greatly appreciated. Look for more to explain things. Thanks, and have fun!!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Reyna wasn’t sure what to believe about the concept of soulmates. Hylla had told her about them when she was still young after she felt a pain in her knee and found it was hurting out of nowhere. “If you get hurt, your soulmate will feel it as well. When your soulmate gets hurt, you will too. Your soulmate is probably as brave and adventurous as you are!” </p><p>Reyna nodded, though confused. She hated the fact that she got hurt out of no fault of her own. She was angry at her soulmate, for being so reckless. She knew what happened when people were reckless, like her father. He was a drunk while Hylla was away, scrounging food from whoever took pity on a 12-year-old girl. </p><p>Reyna hated it when he was drunk. He was meaner and more paranoid than usual, and once he had taken his anger out on a 6-year-old Reyna.  </p><p>Ever since then, Reyna felt like she was worthless. She had to depend on Hylla to help her with everything. Her father would always mock her, saying she wasn’t a true Ramirez-Arellano. </p><p>Her father and grandfather and every one of her ancestors had been favored by the goddess Bellona, but what had Reyna done? The only types of adventures Reyna had were petting alley cats and trying new smoothies given to her by the staff of the Barrachina, but even they were too cowardly to report the lash marks glimpsed under her shirt. </p><p>Reyna always kept silent about her treatment from her father to Hylla, who was under enough stress as it were. Hylla already carried the weight of the world upon her scrawny shoulders, she didn’t need to bear Reyna’s burdens as well.</p><p>Even though Hylla told her she was the daughter of the war goddess Bellona, Reyna didn’t want any war. She’d had enough violence for a lifetime by age nine. There was the one time she finally resorted to violence, but she swore never to speak about it again. </p><p>After the… incident, Hylla grabbed Reyna’s hand and they ran until they couldn’t anymore. Reyna looked back upon that day with almost irony. The reason they were running, her father, was the reason they were able to get away. </p><p>Because of his “parenting”, both girls were scrawny and small and could smuggle themselves with the crates of cargo being exported out of San Juan. They spent long nights rocked to sleep by the lull of the ship plowing through the waves. Until the storm, and from there, things went from bad to worse.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. It Was A Wicked And Wild Wind, Blew Down The Doors To Let Me In</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Before Thalia knew who her dad was, she was livid at him. Strike that. Even after she knew who her dad was, the almighty king of the gods, she still loathed him. She ultimately blamed him for the demise of the perfect all-American family. Except they weren’t perfect. </p><p>She had learned her father was Zeus. In mythology, he was known for breaking the hearts of mortal women. As Thalia studied her mother, she knew that a little more was broken than her heart. Her mother would stare into space, murmuring in a language that Thalia didn’t quite understand. And one day came Jason. </p><p>At first, Thalia was overjoyed to have a baby brother. It gave her something to do other than watch her mother hunch over and curse the sky. She wasn’t quite sure Jason was completely her brother, though, but she loved him nonetheless. </p><p>When her dad visited for the second and final time, he felt off to Thalia. He dressed formally and spoke a language Thalia didn’t recognize, but her mom did. For a while, her mom was happy and Thalia was happy, but nothing gold could stay. </p><p>Jason was the cutest little kid. His eyes were like blue lightning. His blonde hair stood up in cowlicks, his grin the greatest light in Thalia’s life amidst her mother’s constant bitterness and gloom. </p><p>When her mother “lost” Jason when he was three, Thalia almost shut down. It didn’t help that her soulmate practically died every day. Every day she woke up more hurt than the last, but she had read in books in the public library saying that you only experience bits and pieces of your soulmate’s pain. While Thalia felt for whoever her soulmate was, she had bigger problems to deal with. </p><p>She knew she didn’t have too much time to plan. Her mother would be livid if she found out what Thalia was planning, but she was usually too drunk to figure it out. She was twelve then. Much too young to be running away, she thought. But then again, having a life like hers called for plan Z most of the time. </p><p>As she stepped out into the cold night, she could have sworn she smelled a storm brewing in the air. Maybe Zeus was warning her not to do this, but then again, what of it? She looked into the flashing streaks of lightning in the sky and growled. </p><p>“If you really cared, Dad, you would have saved me instead of letting this family be ripped apart. Spare me the lecture. We all know family can be hard, but if I had the power to fix this family, at least I know I would.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Revolutionaries Wait For My Head On A Silver Plate</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Reyna had often heard the cooks at the Barrachina say “out of the frying pan and into the fire.” She appreciated the sentiment, though the phrase definitely needed some personalization. </p><p>After the storm that ravaged the boat she and Hylla were stowaways in, dumping them in the ocean, Reyna was quite partial to “out of the rat-infested ship and into shark-infested water.” It was a little on the nose, but then again, Reyna could get her degree in literature another day. Right now, she was focused on living, for her sister if anything. </p><p>Hanging on to pieces of driftwood from the pulverized ship, Reyna and Hylla floated onto the shores of an island. Immediately, they were swarmed by a flurry of attendants, tending to them, wiping the blood from Reyna’s forehead and pulling the hair out of Hylla’s face so she could vomit more gracefully. </p><p>The whole time Reyna was apprehensive of these wonderful women. Hylla had been raised when their father was still caring, but Reyna had never been shown affection by a parental figure. She doubted for a while, but once Hylla was relaxed, she was willing to shelve any thoughts of ill will for the time being. </p><p>Within no time they were introduced to the leader of the island, Circe. Reyna could’ve sworn the name sounded familiar, but she could barely be in Circe’s presence without her thoughts smudging. </p><p>Hylla fit right in with the other attendants who pampered women who came to their residence. Reyna learned some basics of makeup, but she wasn’t that smitten. Her biggest joy came from caring for the guinea pigs that Circe kept. They reminded her of the kittens she would pet back in the streets of old San Juan. </p><p>Every night, she dreamed that a ship beached itself on the shores of the island. Reyna always recognized a few familiar faces such as the spirits from her (former, she reminded herself) home. There was the Pirate Cofresi among them, the golden saber Reyna had, well, deputized, was reflecting the murderous glint in his eyes. Your punishment, they said. Our revenge. Reyna stopped sleeping in fear of them, instead gazing out at the tides and wishing they would wash her away. </p><p>She thought about her soulmate often. She felt bad about all the pain she must have caused them in the past 5 years. What’s worse, she had never been able to care for her wounds. Her soulmate’s injuries had always been healed within a few hours.</p><p>Reyna wondered if they were magic like how the other attendants said Circe was. Reyna hoped so. She needed magic in her life. It seemed fitting that magic was always used in the dark fairytales. </p><p>When girls came to the island, Reyna would braid their hair, her heart softly drinking in how smooth and unmarred their skin was, how there was so much light in their eyes. They were always so beautiful. Reyna had dark eyes, though she liked how dark they were. The opacity allowed her to hide the pain of her nightmares and everything else that shouldn’t have happened to an eleven-year-old girl from San Juan.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Now In The Mornings I Sleep Alone, Roam The Streets I Used To Own</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Thalia had never had any problem sleeping outdoors, which was handy for her current situation. She had been running for so long, sleeping under the stars and the little balconies in the slums of each city she passed though as she headed east. </p><p>Then she met Luke Castellan. He was like her: someone who had suffered from leaving fathers who never tried and mothers who weren’t quite right inside their head. She saw how much pain he went through, and wondered if he was her soulmate. </p><p>She hoped he was. He reminded her of Jason, who she had never told anyone about. He had the same blue eyes and blonde hair, the same grin whenever something funny happened. She was disabused of her wishes when she helped care for him after he had gotten cut by a monster. Later in her sleeping bag, she had checked above her knee to see if there was a cut, but only finding freckled skin. </p><p>As the two traveled, people in the streets would glance at her, whispering to others about how they thought she was Beryl Grace’s kid. Once upon a time, Thalia would have been proud to be recognized. Now she hurriedly denied it, claiming that Beryl Grace had blonde hair and honey eyes, while Thalia had the ebony hair and blue eyes of her father. </p><p>Luke and Thalia were passing through Virginia when they heard a rattling in an alley. While most mortals would have thought it was an alley cat or whatnot, they knew better. Whatever was hiding, it was most likely a monster. </p><p>Luke glanced at Thalia before cautiously advancing. There was something hiding under a metal trash can, so it must have been a small monster. Thalia activated her aegis, a shield she and Luke had nicked from the ruins of a mansion. </p><p>Luke yanked away the lid of the trashcan, and in true warrior fashion, a young girl with golden locks flew out at them, wielding a ball-peen hammer and desperately swinging it at the pair of demigods. </p><p>“Whoa, there, killer! You can take it easy, we aren’t going to hurt you, OK?” Luke coaxed. He gave Thalia a side-eyed glance as if to say Thals, it’s a kid, so if you could put up the bronze head of Medusa, that would be great. Thalia sighed and tapped her shield, and the young girl watched with wide eyes as it shrunk into a bracelet. </p><p>“Wow, that’s really cool! Can I have one? Where did you get it? Who are you guys? My name is Annabeth, and I’m seven years old!” She exclaimed, proudly counting out her years on her small hands. </p><p>Thalia crouched down to Annabeth’s height before taking on the soft tone of voice she used to use with Jason. “Annabeth, sweetie? My name is Thalia, and his name is Luke. You can trust us. How come you’re out here all on your own?”</p><p>Annabeth pouted for a second before she spoke. “I ran away from home. My daddy loved my step-mom too much, and he didn’t like me as much as he did her and my brothers. So I ran away. There have been these mean things, like monsters, who try and hurt me. I always run away before they can get me though.”</p><p>“Well, Annabeth,” Luke grinned. “You seem pretty smart and brave. We could use a fighter like you. Wanna come with us?” </p><p>Annabeth beamed. “Yeah!” she practically bounced up and down. Luke pulled out a bronze knife he had salvaged when Thalia got her shield. He crouched down and offered her the knife, which she took with curiosity. Thalia stared down the alleyway as Luke began explaining how to use the knife, Annabeth eagerly drinking every bit of information in. </p><p>Eventually, the pair of blondes got up, and while Luke was still smiling, Thalia could see the worry in his eyes. They both knew she was a demigod, and her godly parent was most likely a goddess. If she had to guess, she’d say Athena, but she kept that to herself. </p><p>As the trio progressed further from there, Luke and Thalia would stay awake long after tucking Annabeth in. They talked about their parents, how they left them eventually, whether they were godly or mortal. </p><p>Thalia secretly harbored worries, for her, Annabeth, Luke, and above all her soulmate. Whoever they were, they definitely had a dangerous life. </p><p>She bet they were a demigod, but she didn’t know of any mythical monsters that used belts on a demigod’s back instead of swords. Marks never showed up, but she still felt the pain. </p><p>On the bright side, at least she knew her soulmate was alive. Her soulmate must have known Thalia was alive as well, judging from the nicks that Thalia’s lifestyle offered them. She didn’t really pray, but she always offered up a prayer for her soulmate on the bad nights. Every night.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Be My Mirror My Sword And Shield, My Missionaries In A Foreign Field</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Note: Like Ogygia, time is different on Circe's Island. This explains why despite Annabeth and Percy coming to the island years after Thalia's death, Reyna only felt the shock then. This also explains why Percy and Annabeth are two years older than Reyna in this AU.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Reyna was eleven, she saw the first boy come to the island. Hylla had told her a while back that the other girls said Circe was a sorceress, and Reyna guessed she believed it. What else was new in her life?</p><p>The boy, who was black-haired with green eyes, was accompanied by a blonde girl with grey eyes. Reyna wondered if they were soulmates. They just seemed so right together in her eyes. </p><p>She continued staring at them from her hiding space on the beach as Hylla showed the boy, who was named Percy, to Circe. Reyna approached and took the blonde called Annabeth to the salon, where she started to braid her hair. </p><p>Her soulmate, whoever and wherever they were, had been careless lately. Reyna had acquired several new bruises and even a few cuts, though she was able to keep them well hidden from Hylla. </p><p>But as pain seized her once more, she knew this time was different. Reyna briefly gasped out an apology as she felt fangs sink into her body, claws mauling at her throat. She stumbled as fast as she could into Circe’s office, where there was a new guinea pig but the boy, Percy, was nowhere to be found. </p><p>Circe looked up in concern before placing a hand on Reyna’s forehead. Her frown turned into a look of sorrow. “Reyna, my girl, I don’t know how to tell you this, but… your soulmate is dying. They probably don’t have long. You should go talk to them.”</p><p>Reyna felt sick. Her world was spinning, and it felt like when the beast that was killing her soulmate clawed at her chest, it took a piece of her heart. Reyna staggered out onto the beach, wading into the surf and sitting down before dropping her head into her chest and pulling her knees in tight. How could she possibly talk to them? </p><p>Reyna didn’t know how long she cried for, but she could’ve drowned the world in tears if left unchecked. She still felt pain from her soulmate, so she knew they hadn’t died yet. She panicked, and Reyna knew that she needed to talk to them before they finally passed. </p><p>She steeled her nerves, if only for a while, and began to sing a song Hylla used to sing to her when she was hurt. Reyna only hoped her soulmate would hear it and be comforted by it. She closed her eyes and began to sing. As she was finishing, she felt her soulmate pass away. Her voice caught, and she began to sob once more. </p><p>Her tears were interrupted by the sound of screaming and yelling. Her head whipped around as she heard broken glass, and she gaped in disbelief as her makeshift home went up in flames. </p><p>From the smoke came pirates, with looks in their eyes as wild as the ghosts of her past. She could barely protest as the leader, wearing a scruffy red tailcoat and sporting an immense black beard, picked her up over the shoulder, and ran with her to a ship moored at the dock. </p><p>She faintly recognized the words The Queen Anne’s Revenge before she was thrown into a dark room on the ship. The door creaked open once more and Reyna vaguely recognized Hylla’s silhouette falling beside her before her eyes closed and her thoughts dimmed. “They’re dead,” she murmured. “My soulmate is dead.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. I Know Saint Peter Won’t Call My Name</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>I highly suggest listening to "Somewhere Only We Know" by Keane while listening to this.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>One Hour Earlier<br/>
Thalia was never the girl that put effort into running laps in gym class. She was more than happy to climb the bleachers and watch as the boys tripped over themselves to impress some of the girls. </p><p>She hated herself for not running then, At least back then, she didn’t have dozens of hellhounds clawing at her as she kept them at bay with her spear, which crackled with electricity. Luke had a tiny Annabeth in his arms, and Grover, their newfound satyr guide, was guiding them to a massive hill. </p><p>She was a bit apprehensive of him at first, he was a bit too easy-going for her likes. As soon as he learned she was Zeus’s daughter, Grover dragged her and Luke by the arms as unwelcome howls pierced the night. </p><p>Since her dad was ever so dramatic, the star-dotted sky was cloaked with lightning and the boom of thunder. Rain pelted her skin as the five of them raced up the hill to a place where Grover claimed they’d be safe. </p><p>As she panted with effort, she saw one of the hellhounds leap for Luke, who was still carrying Annabeth. Thalia gritted her teeth. She would not let another one of her families be destroyed. </p><p>Thalia jumped in front of the hellhound, which plowed her up the hill to the flat space on the top. More joined the effort to maul her, and while Thalia appreciated the effort, it was a bit overkill. </p><p>She gasped in pain as she felt its claws swipe at her stomach, covered only by a tattered shirt. She grasped her spear from above her head and skewered one, then slashed at another. </p><p>She heard Luke and Annabeth scream, wails of despair echoing around the hills. Grover stared at her in shock. Thalia locked eyes with him. “Lead them there! Promise me, Grover! Protect them for me!” He gulped and nodded before taking Annabeth from Luke and dragging her away, no matter how she screamed. </p><p>Thalia’s eyes looked to Luke, who was watching her silently, silent tears blanketing his face. She felt like she was bathing in her own blood. Thalia smiled softly and weakly spoke. “Luke. I love you. I’ll see you in Elysium someday… but it’s okay. Don’t cry. I’m at peace now.”</p><p>As Thalia watched, cyclops lumbered up the hill, only to be cut down by arrows. She guessed someone was shooting at them, but she was too drained to respond. More hellhounds bounded up to her. As she stared at the storm-lashed sky, she smiled. It seems her dad was really there this time. The rain lessened, now soothing her. </p><p>As she began to breathe her last, she heard a voice inside her head. It was a young girl singing, though her voice wavered. The girl’s lullaby started to rock Thalia. </p><p>Oh, simple thing, where have you gone? I'm getting old, and I need something to rely on. So tell me when you're gonna let me in, I'm getting tired, and I need somewhere to begin. And if you have a minute, why don't we go... Talk about it somewhere only we know? This could be the end of everything So why don't we go somewhere only we know...This could be the end of everything. So why don't we go somewhere only we know?<br/>
With a jolt, Thalia realized it was her soulmate singing to her. She smiled sadly. Thalia might be dying, but at least she found love, however fleeting. </p><p>She whispered in her head. “I’ll find you one day. I don’t care if I’m banished to the depths of hell. I will never stop looking for you. And I’ll never stop loving... Thalia’s words were cut short as she breathed her last, soothed by the sound of storms and a lullaby.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. I Used To Rule The World, Seas Would Rise When I Gave The Call</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Reyna was a time bomb waiting to go off. She had just lost her soulmate, who turned out to be a girl. Reyna wasn’t particularly surprised. She had sung her to sleep. Reyna wasn’t sure whether to be comforted or distressed that the last thing her soulmate had heard was Reyna’s singing. </p><p>Reyna, for the most part, was numb. She was able to feel certain things. She could feel the pirates poking and prodding her, she could hear them jeering at her. She could hear Hylla’s sniffles at night when she thought Reyna was asleep. </p><p>Reyna felt bad for Hylla. Hylla had always known love from adults to some extent, with the exception of her father. But even he had been capable of love at one point. </p><p>The pirates were crueler to Reyna than they were to Hylla. She didn’t know why, but she didn’t care. It wasn’t like they were doing anything that hadn’t been done to Reyna before. </p><p>There was a difference between her father and the pirates, though. This time, Reyna was prepared. She didn’t react. She refused to give them the satisfaction. At night, when Hylla was finally asleep, Blackbeard led the other pirates in their favorite game: Who can get a response out of Reyna?</p><p>They tried everything; lashes (been there, done that), little knives making precise cuts (they’d have to try harder, she’d even done those to herself), and they even burned her before. They stopped after that, partly because they held a grudging respect for her and partly because burning flesh wasn’t exactly a desirable smell. </p><p>For weeks Reyna and Hylla lived under the rule of Blackbeard. Reyna guessed her half-birthday had rolled around sometime during their captivity. The thing she was most surprised about was that it had been less than two years since she was a little girl in San Juan. She would’ve still been that same girl, she realized. And that hurt. </p><p>Hylla would be around 18. Reyna felt guilty. If it wasn’t for her, Hylla would be off to college in Old San Juan, exploring the world with her friends. Instead, Reyna had murdered her father, Hylla’s father, in cold blood. He might have been cruel to Reyna, but he had always had a soft spot for Hylla. </p><p>Reyn thought Hylla must hate her. After all, she deserved it. Sometimes, when Hylla was asleep, Reyna would take one of the little pocket knives the pirates had, and she would cut herself along her hip. </p><p>She didn’t need to worry about hurting her soulmate anymore. Why should she? She was dead. Reyna was dead too. She was numb, and the bite of the blade digging into her marred skin was able to bring her back to reality sometimes. </p><p>Other times, she spiraled down and down, relishing in the pain. The only time she got mad when violence was inflicted was when it was on Hylla. She didn’t deserve this. Reyna did. </p><p>Reyna had observed how their captors had fought, and she practiced with the rotting pieces of timber she was forced to move at night. They were unwieldy and heavy, but Reyna swung them round in dizzying patterns until her arms felt like they would fall off. </p><p>One day, Hylla had accidentally scrubbed over Blackbeard’s boot as she worked on her hands and knees to clean the sea-battered timbers of the ship. Blackbeard had been swift in retribution, knocking the wind out of her sister’s body, punching her in the gut and watching in satisfaction as she crumpled to the deck. </p><p>Reyna was enraged. She grabbed a cutlass from a napping pirate and swung wildly at Blackbeard. He dodged easily and drew his own sword. Hylla managed to crawl out of the way before she was trampled. </p><p>All the pirates that were above deck formed a ragged circle around the daughter of Bellona and the son of Ares. Blackbeard sneered at her. “You really think you could beat me? I have the blood of a war god running through my veins? You might be a demigod, girl, but your mother, whoever she might be, clearly did not give you strength. I would say she could be Aphrodite, but you're not nearly beautiful enough,” he spat. </p><p>Reyna’s mind was already swimming. She definitely was confused about why he used the older Greek terms, but right now her main focus was not dying. Not out of any love for herself, but she knew Hylla would be broken. </p><p>Reyna advanced, determined to strike down the pirate. Before she could get in a swing though, Blackbeard flicked his cutlass across her cheek, painting a line of liquid crimson across tanned skin. She ignored it and evaded his next strike, but was caught off guard by an elbow thrown into her collarbone. </p><p>As she stumbled, trying to catch her breath, Blackbeard swept her legs out from under her. She glared up at him, squinting as the harsh Caribbean sun flooded her view. </p><p>She gasped as a boot planted itself on her jugular and a gleaming sword reared back. The jeers from the spectators grew until they were deafening. Reyna prepared herself to die. She looked across the deck until she met eyes with Hylla, whose eyes were brimming with tears. She gave her a reassuring smile, then focused back on Blackbeard. </p><p>“I’m coming for you, my love. We may have lost each other in this life, but never again.” </p><p>The sword began its lethal downward arc. Reyna braced herself for a blow that never came, for at the moment, the ocean churned and everyone was flung into a raging sea.</p>
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<a name="section0008"><h2>8. I Hear Jerusalem Bells Are Ringing, Roman Calvary Choirs Are Singing</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>In the storm-lashed waters, prayers to gods and deals with devils were made hand-in-hand. Reyna didn’t care about the pirates though. She considered offering up a prayer to the old Roman god Neptune who she had learned about when she was young so that he would drown the pirates, but she resisted. </p><p>That wasn’t her style. If she were to kill someone, they would die by her hand. Reyna swallowed seawater. They had died by her hand. She pushed the thoughts away and sought out Hylla. She swam past pieces of wreckage and pirates, some cursing her and others pleading for her to save them. </p><p>She ignored them and pushed on. Luckily, she had always been a good swimmer, frolicking on the beaches on the east coast of Puerto Rico. She found Hylla floating, clinging with everything she had to one of the kegs of alcohol the buccaneers stored in the cargo hold where the girls had previously slept. </p><p>Reyna pulled Hylla toward shore, determined not to have what remained of her only family washed away with the tide. As the pair of them collapsed onto the wet wave-beaten shore, Reyna’s exhaustion caught up with her. She saw what looked like a worried Hylla standing over her before her eyelids crumpled shut under what seemed like the weight of the sky. </p><p>As Reyna came to, she noticed a few things. First, everything tasted like salt. Second, the beach was quiet and peaceful, sensations she hadn’t experienced for almost six years. Third and finally, Hylla who was gently shaking her awake and sighing in relief as onyx eyes flew open. </p><p>“You had me worried there, little jellybean”, Hylla grinned, dredging up memories buried deep in the dark corners of Reyna’s mind as she recalled her old nickname from the Barrachina. </p><p>“Don’t call me that,” Reyna growled. “Whatever you say, my jellybean.” Reyna glared at her for a few seconds before Hylla resigned, a smirk still gracing her deeply tanned features. “OK, you win. Can you sit? I managed to salvage some food and drink from the wreckage.”</p><p>Reyna struggled for a moment before pulling herself into a sitting position. Her ribs ached and she was having trouble breathing. She took a shaky breath and questioned Hylla, “Where did the pirates go?” </p><p>Hylla’s expression of mirth disappeared and she set her jaw. “They were knocked unconscious, and they washed up on the shore. Some were dead. Some were alive. The dead I sent out to sea. The living…” she trailed off. </p><p>Reyna only nodded, but as Hylla turned to the side, Reyna studied her big sister more carefully. Several things had changed, both within and without. There was a hard expression rooted in those obsidian eyes and the tense nature of a tiger Reyna had seen at the zoo in old San Juan. </p><p>There was no mistaking it. Hylla Ramirez-Arellano was dead, replaced with Hylla, daughter of Bellona, who would slay pirates and move ships to protect what she loved. Reyna wasn’t sure to be thankful or weary. Once she would have welcomed this Hylla to protect her from the pain, but now… now Reyna welcomed the pain, the thrill of the harmful escape. </p><p>Hylla broke the tense silence as she handed Reyna some crude wine, hardtack, and dried meat. “I had a dream,” she began. “I was told to bring you to a place called the Four Corners. It’s in the southwestern U.S. Mom said so.”</p><p>Reyna gagged on her food. It was barely edible, but to Reyna, it was a feast, worthy of a king’s banquet. She relished the way the harsh alcohol burned down her throat, coating her gullet so Reyna could choke down the other bits of food. </p><p>“Bellona talked to you? She’s never talked to me before. I wasn’t even completely sure she was real, I just thought she was another imagination of… you know, him…”</p><p>Hylla nodded gravely. “It’s real, I know. She said that there’s a place some of her friends will take you. How an immortal goddess of war has or makes friends, I have no clue. She told me she has another path from me.” </p><p>She took a deep breath and continued. “I’ve figured out that we’re one the coast of the American state called Louisiana. From here, we journey northwest. Once we finish eating, we continue on foot.”<br/>1 Day Later<br/>Reyna was miserable. She and Hylla had been traveling for a day, without any breaks. They were currently on a bus, undefended, sitting in the scorching northern Texas heat. From what Hylla could divulge from a map, they were maybe another 12 hours of traveling before Reyna was dropped off to her mother’s shady friends. The thought didn’t exactly fill her with comfort. </p><p>She noticed some of the other passengers staring at her for reasons she didn’t comprehend. She looked down. Oh. Oh. Reyna looked like she was a homeless, desperate orphan in desperate need of some love and a shower. Scratch that. She was those things. </p><p>Suddenly, she felt self-conscious. She jammed her hands into the pockets of her tattered and blood-stained jeans, before grasping the familiar weight of the small steel pocket knife that had been her greatest friend and worst enemy aboard The Queen Anne’s Revenge. </p><p>She excused herself and shuffled to the seats in the back of the bus. Hylla didn't even notice. Ever since she’d gotten the dream from Bellona, she was always too lost in her thoughts to speak to Reyna. </p><p>Reyna sat down and hunched over, repeatedly drawing the blade over the grime-covered skin of her forearm. It had been so long, Reyna had almost forgotten the instant relief given from cutting herself. </p><p>When her hands were drenched once again in blood, she wiped them off on her torso, smearing the mutilated flesh with liquid memories of San Juan. She stared out the window and drifted off to sleep. It had been a long day, and they were many more in store for her.</p>
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<a name="section0009"><h2>9. And I Discovered That My Castles Stand Upon Pillars of Salt And Pillars Of Sand</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Wake up.” Reyna grimaced at the gusts of heat blowing through the windows of the bus, making her uncomfortably warm. Hylla was leaning against one of the poles in the middle of the aisle, gazing at her with an expression Reyna couldn’t quite pinpoint. </p><p>Regret? Sorrow? Unrest. That was it. She didn’t quite know what was happening, but she was still apprehensive. She looked around. They were the only two left, and the driver had disappeared. </p><p>Reyna sat up. Ouch. Big mistake. Her gut twisted, still coated in the sticky blood of her, well, relief session. Hylla’s expression flickered into an expression of concern before Reyna gave her a reassuring smile as the two walked down the steps of the bus. </p><p>Hylla silently led Reyna through a forest all night, while Reyna was wondering if she was being led to her death. She didn’t care, she supposed. Though she would like to die on her own terms. </p><p>When the sun began to come up, once again overheating Reyna, they arrived in a grove of trees, with a pool that glittered strangely in the glaring sun. Reyna looked at Hylla who approached, tears glistening in onyx eyes. Hylla embraced her in a hug, something that hadn’t happened for years. </p><p>Reyna was shocked. She hesitantly leaned into her sister’s arms and melted in them after feeling the love and warmth. Hylla pulled back and gripped her soldiers. “Remember me, OK?” she whispered. “Whether you go on to conquer armies or raise hell, or lead legions into battle, please, remember me and who we were. Who we became. OK?”</p><p>Reyna fought down tears. “Hylla, I…” she swallowed, determined to not let her sister down, who had already borne the weight of worlds upon her shoulders. “I will. I swear on the river Styx, I will remember the little girls in Puerto Rico.”</p><p>“I will remember the girls who time and time again were shipwrecked and ragged. I will remember who they become. I swear.” Reyna met her sister’s eyes, and Hylla smiled briefly. </p><p>The smile was wiped away when Hylla looked at something behind her, nodded, and met Reyna’s eyes. Then, she smiled once more, turned, and ran off into the rising sun. </p><p>Reyna turned to whatever her sister was looking at. In the rapidly fading shadows, beings were lurking. Reyna stared as wolves emerged. </p><p>Reyna tensed as the wolves circled her, fixing her gaze on who seemed to be the leader. Tall, strong, and rugged, the great she-wolf’s blue eyes bored into her. </p><p>“Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano, daughter of Bellona. I am the goddess Lupa. You are a child of Rome if you prove your worth. Do you accept your challenge?” snarled Lupa. </p><p>Reyna hardened her gaze and took a step forward. “I do.” All along the grove, the wolves howled their assent. </p><p>“I will say one thing unto you, and only once. If you fail the former, you welcome the latter. Aut vincere aut mori.” the goddess warned. </p><p>“Aut vincere aut mori,” she repeated. “Conquer…” Reyna decided then and there what she would become. “Conquer or die.”</p>
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<a name="section0010"><h2>10. I Used To Roll The Die, Feel The Fear In My Enemy’s Eyes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Two Years Later<br/>	If he wasn’t a god, Thalia would’ve murdered her father. She died. OK, that’ll take a bit of therapy. No harm, no foul. But to be turned into a tree? That was just plain rude. She would never get the smell of pine out of her hair and jacket. </p><p>She’d heard the monsters could smell demigods before, and here Thalia was, a human-sized pine tree air freshener that could walk and talk. </p><p>She had woken up, feeling extremely disoriented. The last thing Thalia remembered was her soulmate singing to her. Thalia had tried to speak to her, but then she.... blanked. Absolutely nothing. </p><p>She looked up and realized that dozens of kids were staring at her. Most were teens, clad in orange shirts, jeans, and wide-eyed looks. Among them, she picked out a blonde girl with grey eyes and a tense set to her jaw. No… it couldn’t be. </p><p>“Thalia!”, Annabeth shrieked, tackling her in a hug. “Hey there, kiddo? What’s going on? Where are we?” Thalia questioned. </p><p>“Hey, Wise Girl, why don’t you calm down? I’m sure you two have plenty of questions for each other. How about we go to the Big House?” Thalia looked at the speaker, a boy around Annabeth’s age with black hair and sea-green eyes. </p><p>“Do I know you?” The boy grinned. “Not yet. I’m Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon. Annabeth’s friend.” Thalia thought they were more than friends, but she kept that to herself. </p><p>“Thalia Grace,” she managed. “Daughter of Zeus, friend of Annabeth, and formerly dead.” </p><p>Five Months Later<br/>	Thalia was cool with being a Hunter of Artemis. After rescuing Annabeth from Luke (which was a punch in the gut, seeing her best friend turned evil) with Percy, Zoe, and Bianca, Thalia was sick and tired of being a normal demigod. Immortality didn’t sound too bad either. </p><p>She died once, and that was enough for both her lifetimes. Besides, she still needed to find her soulmate. Thalia had no idea where she would be, but she guessed she was a demigod. If not, some mortal had been playing with weapons way more than they should have. </p><p>Since nobody at Camp Half-Blood seemed to be her soulmate, Thalia decided to set out with the Hunters. She would be with them, search for her soulmate, and if she ever found her, she would leave the Hunters to be with her. <br/>For right now, though, she was serving the goddess of the Hunt, Artemis. Literally everyone in the throne room of Olympus was surprised when she accepted the offer. </p><p>Percy, Annabeth, and Grover were all sad to see her go, but she couldn’t stay. The gods seemed to agree with that sentiment. Even though Thalia’s rebirth schedule didn’t include overthrowing immortals and bathing in the blood of ancient creatures, the Olympians were worried about last-minute pop-ups. </p><p>Ultimately it was better for everyone this way. Percy and Annabeth got to do their own thing without Thalia third-wheeling, the gods weren’t massacred by a Titan lord, Artemis got a new lieutenant, the small things. But Thalia was worried. </p><p>It had taken a while for the pain her soulmate had endured for the past 3 years to come back, but come back it did. </p><p>Thalia would writhe in her tent at night, feeling the ghostly touches of swords and knives, whips and fire. At one point, Thalia had asked Artemis how her soulmate was experiencing so much pain. </p><p>Though she knew Artemis didn’t approve of soulmates, the goddess’s look had softened when Thalia asked her how her soulmate could go through this much pain and still carry on. She figured her soulmate couldn’t have been older than her, and Thalia was forever fifteen. Huh. Maybe she could start a competitor chain to Forever 21. She could certainly pull it off. </p><p>She snapped her attention back to the goddess, who was studying her with concern. “Lieutenant…” she trailed off. “Thalia, there is something you should know. I discovered this about you when I considered having you as my lieutenant, after consulting my childish brother.”</p><p>Thalia sucked in her breath as Artemis continued. “Your… soulmate, as mortals call it, is a rather special case. As you know, demigods such as her and yourself are no strangers to pain, but she is the one in many who desires the pain. As an escape if nothing else.”</p><p>The daughter of Zeus felt like she was slapped in the face. So her soulmate was suicidal? Thalia might have been a child of the Big Three, but she couldn’t heal people. Apollo was her half-brother, not her father. </p><p>Artemis ventured on. “My brother said that only one person could stop your soulmate before she carries it too far one day. Do you have any idea who that person might be?”</p><p>“Me,” Thalia whispered. “I’m responsible for saving a person who I know nothing about, other than that they’re suicidal and they believe nobody loves them. It’s me.”</p>
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<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Listen As The Crowd Would Sing, Now The Old King Is Dead, Long Live The King</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Reyna thought the pain of a soulmate was a thing of the past. And it was. At least until a fourteen-year-old Reyna was practicing on the field of Mars late one night. </p><p>She knew that she should technically be in her barracks, but her centurion was in their late teens and didn’t care anymore. Reyna was fine with that. It allowed her to perfect techniques, and though she worked herself to the bone, she loved it. </p><p>Being a Roman gave her a sense of purpose, and while Reyna would still hurt herself in more ways than one, her life had definitely improved over the years.</p><p>As she ran herself ragged with sword drills and laps in armor, she felt the disapproving marble eyes of Terminus staring her down. She let his gaze break upon her back, because why not? He might have been a god, but he couldn’t do anything to her as long as she abided by the rules. </p><p>Reyna had been hacking away at a training post, recalling the familiar cadence she learned when she first joined the Legion two years ago when she felt a sharp series of stings raking across her calf. </p><p>Confused, she sat on the ground and rolled up her jeans leg. And stared. And stared. Because there, wrought upon her skin like a memory of fire and heat, were words in blood: Stop. I’m alive. You’re loved. -Your SM. </p><p>Her soulmate was alive. She was alive. Reyna looked into the stars, whispering words that never left her lips to grace the heavens. Why me? </p><p>Then she was falling, falling, falling into darkness. </p><p>As Reyna came to, she saw blue eyes looming over her with worry. “Jason. What are you doing here?” she questioned her centurion. </p><p>Jason’s posture relaxed. “You had me worried there for a second, Reyna. The guards doing the fourth watch came back to you passed out on the field of Mars, blood pooling around your leg.” He raised his eyebrows. “Care to explain?”</p><p>“Not really, no,” she muttered. Jason shot her a look. “OK, fine,” she relented. “I got a message from my soulmate. I thought she was dead, but guess I was wrong.” Jason stared at her. </p><p>Reyna suddenly closed up defensively. She knew that at some point, Jason had had a crush on her, but she knew he wasn’t her soulmate. Besides, his soulmate rarely was injured, and well… if Reyna was his soulmate, he’d have a lot more marks on him than he did. </p><p>“C’mon, Rey, you can share with me! I’m your best friend!” Jason pleaded. Reyna hastily bolted out her bed, snapping at the blond as she moved. “Not right now, you aren’t.”</p><p>She ran as fast as she could with her injured leg, tracing the familiar path up the hill that led to the garden of Bacchus. As she ran, she began to cry, letting years of frustration and hurt roll down her cheeks in the form of salty tears. </p><p>Reyna glanced at her reflection in the water of the fountain in the center of the garden. Her reflection, a tear-streaked face with bloodshot eyes conveying no sense of self gazed back. </p><p>Reyna hated herself. There was no other way about it. The other kids at camp had mocked her when she came, saying that she wasn’t a true daughter of Bellona. She was too skinny, too opposed to shouting or excessive violence. Apparently kids of Bellona were extremely rare, so everyone had felt cheated when they got her. </p><p>Jason, who was a centurion of the Fifth, had taken her in and vouched for her. While doing her drills with the others, Reyna recalled the promises she had made. </p><p>She swung once. Never to be defenseless. Twice. Never surrender. Three times. Never forget. Four times. Never be cold, like he was. Never. On the fifth strike, she put so much power into the swing that Reyna completely sliced through the dummy.</p><p>The Legionnaires stared at her. Her tattoo was burning painfully, but she didn’t care. She never had. Reyna resumed her position and kept hacking at the target, choosing not to rest or even stop for dinner. She returned to the barracks at 2 AM that night. It had been 2 PM when the cohort started. </p><p>Reyna was snapped back to the present as the gurgling sound of the fountain trickled to a stop. In a trance, she sat down on one of the marble benches. She knew her soulmate was alive, somewhere, somehow. </p><p>Nevertheless, she persisted. Her soulmate had put up with Reyna and her broken tendencies, what was one more cut? A dozen more? Shaking hands pulled her silver pocket knife along her ribs. </p><p>Her entire body, from her torso and hips to her legs and arms, were covered in thousands of slash marks, each one a reminder of what it was like to be weak. Reyna didn’t stop until the chimes sounded across the valley, signaling for the Legionnaires to show up to the War Games. </p><p>Reyna sighed and went down the hill, woozy from blood loss. Oh yeah. If her soulmate was going to save her, Reyna hoped they had persistence. Because when Reyna was in this deep, it would take time. It would take patience and understanding. And love.</p>
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<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Just A Puppet On A Lonely String, O Who Would Ever Want To Be King?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>1 Year Later</p><p>	Thalia had fought and won a war against Titans, but she couldn’t get her soulmate to stop hurting herself. Some days it was an open flame, others a knife, she had even repeatedly hit herself until she began to bruise. </p><p>The pain got so bad that she pleaded to Artemis to relieve it. Artemis had agreed, but only after Thalia had lifted her shirt to show the hundreds of patches of burnt skin and slashed barcodes that traced her abdominal region. </p><p>The goddess had made it so that Thalia knew when her soulmate was hurt, but she didn’t feel the pain. She knew every time a blade was traced against skin. She knew every sleepless night her soulmate spent, judging by the splitting headaches and dizzying visions. </p><p>Thalia put her thoughts of unrest away and continued on with the rest of the Hunters. They had been traveling westward for days now, slaying resurrected monsters that some of the older Hunters hadn’t seen for centuries. </p><p>While that in itself was worrying in and of itself, Thalia had bigger problems. Specifically, they were about 7 feet tall with grey matted fur, salivating jaws lined with canines as sharp as razors, and bodies that could be harmed by only flame and silver. </p><p>Thalia’s lucky day. She was hunting werewolves. She and the others ran through the snowdrifts that littered the area around Pikes Peak. The Hunters might have been tracking the wolves, but that didn’t explain what the wolves were hunting. </p><p>Thalia stopped when she saw the first few wolves. They let loose a volley of silver arrows that tore through the monsters, coating the snow in gold dust. As she and the others ran into the clearing, Thalia’s… well, everything froze. </p><p>Because flanked by a boy and a girl, there was a boy with a blond mane and blue eyes crackling with lightning, and in his hands was a golden sword. “Jason,” she choked out. “You’re alive.”</p><p>Their reunion was cut much shorter than Thalia would’ve liked. If she had to guess, Jason and Piper were probably each other’s soulmates, judging from the fact that as Piper’s minimal wounds were tended to, Jason’s complexion acquired more color. </p><p>She tolerated Leo. That was all. It turned out Jason was an amnesiac, which actually fit her memories of him pretty well. Even his scar from attempting to consume a stapler for snack time was still there. </p><p>Certain aspects of him were changed. He knew Latin better than Greek. His sword slew monsters, but it was gold instead of bronze. Most prominent, and most troubling, was the tattoo he sported on his forearm. An eagle was decorated with the letters S.P.Q.R. and flanked with twelve black lines. </p><p>Thalia internally frowned. She remembered a burning pain from her soulmate around 3 years ago located on her forearm. It also had lines and letters wrought by fire. It was possible that her soulmate was connected with Jason. </p><p>She would’ve asked him if he wasn’t an amnesiac on a quest to free the queen of the gods (but screw Hera, in Thalia’s honest opinion), but instead she showed him the way to the Master of the Winds, Aeolus. </p><p>She sighed. If only she knew how much worse things would be soon. </p><p>6 Months Later<br/>Thalia wasn’t sure how to react when she had heard about the Roman demigods on the other side of the country. A flicker of hope had shown up in her with the possibility of finding her if she ever met the Romans. </p><p>Right now, she had other problems, like holding off one of the greatest archers and hunters in the history of the world, so that her friend Nico di Angelo, could shadow travel a massive golden statue to New York from San Juan. Oh yeah, She loved being a demigod. </p><p>Apparently the son of Hades was traveling with a renegade Roman and a bloodthirsty satyr, and if that wasn’t the greatest trio for a death-welcoming quest, Thalia didn’t know what was. </p><p>She also struggled with the concept of the Amazons. While she and the other Hunters respected them, their leader was a bit… well, special. Around 22, she was Puerto Rican, if Thalia had to guess. Her eyes were like pools of lava rock, her mouth in a constant frown. She also would kill you in a second, so there was that. </p><p>Her name was Hylla, apparently, and she was the renegade Roman’s older sister. Hylla and Thalia were cooperating to bring her younger sister, whose name was Reyna, to their base of operations safely. </p><p>They had sent a team of Hunters and Amazons. They had managed to tranq the trio successfully, and drag the body of one unconscious Roman here, before tying her up, gagging her, and blindfolding her, which Thalia didn’t think was extremely necessary, but Hylla insisted. </p><p>When Reyna assaulted her though, Thalia had noticed something. When she was up against the ground, having a knife pressed against her throat, she caught a glimpse of the Roman’s forearm. And her heart stopped. </p><p>Because there, in stark contrast to her tanned skin and black tattoo, were dozens of tiny white scars, each in the pattern of a slash mark. Thalia realized she was staring at the praetor, who was studying her. </p><p>To divert attention from her gaze, Thalia laughed. She thought of Jason and realized they probably had a connection. </p><p>“Wow,” she chuckled. “I mean, Jason spoke highly of you, but even he sold you short.” </p><p>Reyna’s face twisted in confusion. She was clearly thinking about how Thalia, this random Hunter, knew her childhood friend. </p><p>“I’m Thalia Grace, Jason’s older sister”, she supplied. “And speaking of older sisters, I believe yours is waiting.”</p><p>Reyna sighed, stood up, and offered a hand to Thalia. She took it, feeling how rough and calloused her hands were. As they walked through the hallways, Thalia snuck glances at the Roman. </p><p>Her body was tense, her eyes constantly roaming everywhere. Thalia knew she was constantly on alert, but she could see something in those obsidian eyes, a tired gaze that wanted nothing more than to be at peace. </p><p>Thalia noticed how Reyna covered as much of her skin as she could with her cloak, leaving just about everything to the imagination except for her neck, face, and hands. </p><p>She led the Roman to Hylla and judging from their tense postures, the impending conversation was just a time bomb. Thalia nodded to the queen of the Amazons before returning to shore up their defenses. </p><p>Twenty minutes later, she was essentially thrown by a giant into a truck. Well, she wasn’t, but Reyna was. She didn’t feel the pain, but she knew her soulmate was in pain due to the system Artemis had set up. </p><p>She saw Reyna run to Nico, ignoring her bleeding everything. Then the two, along with their satyr, disappeared into the shadows. </p><p>Still shaking from the possibility of finding her soulmate, the daughter of Zeus turned to face the giant. She heard screams echoing along the streets of San Juan, but as she summoned lightning and readied her spear and shield, the only thing she could hear was the voice of the Roman, Reyna Ramirez-Arellano.</p>
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<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Once You Go There Was Never, Never An Honest Word</h2></a>
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    <p>One Month Later<br/>Reyna was fifteen when the world almost ended. For the second time. She honestly wondered if Fortuna had it out for her. She wouldn’t be surprised since none of her children (Roman or Greek, now that she had been visiting Camp Half-Blood) seemed to like her. </p><p>Reyna was OK with that. Plenty of people didn’t like her. Even most of the Roman campers were better friends with their Greek siblings than they were with Reyna. The Seven demigods (excluding Leo, who wasn’t there anymore—he had gained his honor back in Reyna’s book) were nice to her, but they all did their own thing. </p><p>She got to see Hazel and Frank (whom everyone had started calling Frazel, making them blush) every day, except when she was swamped with meetings. She liked having Frank as her fellow praetor, but their workload was still split about 65-35, not that she’d ever tell him. </p><p>She did so much work nowadays because it took her mind off of things. She hadn’t felt pain from her soulmate in a while. At this point, she was convinced they didn’t exist, and the message she received on her leg was just another cruel trick of Fate. </p><p>The only person who Reyna talked to nowadays was Thalia Grace, the Lieutenant she had met in San Juan. Thalia was nice, and Reyna really wished that they had met anywhere other than Puerto Rico. </p><p>The daughter of Jupiter (Zeus, Reyna chided herself) would ask about everything. At first, the praetor had been hard-pressed to see the similarities between Thalia and Jason. Now, it felt like they were the same person. </p><p>Always asking about the state of New Rome, how she and Frank were planning to replenish their numbers and such. Reyna could tolerate that, but then the Lieutenant started asking how she herself was doing. If she was overworked, or if she needed a sparring buddy, how she was holding up after her fight with Orion. </p><p>If Thalia hadn’t been a Hunter who had sworn off romantic love, Reyna would’ve considered that she was trying to make a move. Everyone at Camp Jupiter, even the lares and retired Legionnaires knew not to bother Reyna about anything, especially how she was doing or her past. </p><p>They knew she had come among their ranks 4 years ago, blood-stained, battered, and escorted by a battalion of wolves. They knew she was a daughter of Bellona who seemingly had no limits. </p><p>They didn’t know that as soon as Reyna had her own place (the perks of being praetor) she would break down each night, never sleeping. She skipped meals often, claiming she had already eaten earlier. She was wasting away bit by bit, but she loved it. </p><p>She traveled back and forth between the camps. She met with Chiron, the head counselors, and even Dionysus, though he didn’t care for her much. She was almost envious of the Greek camp and how things were run. </p><p>Reyna loved Camp Jupiter and the city, and how it was run. But to be honest, the fact that the legacy of the greatest empire on earth was dependent upon the shoulders of a suicidal fifteen-year-old didn’t exactly fill her with comfort. </p><p>Reyna sighed as she resumed her paperwork. She looked at the clock upon the wall of her villa. 2:47 AM. She had to wake up at 5:00 AM to set up the Camp schedule. She knew Frank wouldn’t be up until six, so at least she got a little privacy. Aurum and Argentum laid dozing at her feet. </p><p>Reyna fought back exhaustion. The Giant War might have been over, but Reyna was still fighting battles.</p>
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<a name="section0014"><h2>14. For Some Reason I Can’t Explain</h2></a>
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    <p>Thalia was frustrated. She had been writing letters to Reyna for the past month. She would ask how she was doing, if she needed any help, how everything was going at Camp Jupiter. The praetor would answer literally everything but personal questions. </p><p>At least Thalia had gotten confirmation that Reyna was her soulmate, after pleading to Artemis that she would stay in the Hunt if Reyna turned her down. The goddess had sighed and given substance to her beliefs. </p><p>Now came the action part. It would take every ounce of strength to convince Reyna there was a place for them. Thalia sighed. She wished she had the skill of words like Jason and Piper did. She wished she could pull up a Powerpoint and explain why they could be together like Annabeth had essentially done to Percy. She wished she was sweet and loving like Frank and Hazel. </p><p>But alas. Her father had been known for millennia about his unique way of solving problems: killing someone. This situation did not match that solution. Thalia decided to do it Ares-style. Up close and personal. </p><p>She told the goddess her plan, requiring her blessing before she could leave the Hunt. Artemis glanced at her for a moment before waving her hand, and Thalia felt like she was glowing. </p><p>She closed her eyes, and when she opened them, she was overlooking New Rome. She quickly descended into the city. She found Frank and Hazel at a cafe. They both looked surprised to see her, which she couldn’t blame them for. </p><p>“Hey, Thalia, what’s up?” Hazel asked. Thalia rattled off a greeting before getting straight to the point. </p><p>“Has anybody seen Reyna?” she interrogated them. When they both shook their heads, her face fell. </p><p>“Sorry, Thalia. Whenever we don’t have meetings or workouts, Reyna goes off on her own. I would say to maybe check her villa, but no promises. She might be training, but the Legion is done for the day. Good luck finding her. Reyna can be pretty elusive.”</p><p>Thalia nodded and plucked a fry from Frank’s plate. She thanked the couple once more before setting out to find the senior praetor, ignoring Frank’s cry of protest and Hazel’s gleeful laughs. </p><p>As she walked through New Rome, her heart ached. She had joined the Hunters two years ago to help prevent the world from ending, but now that was over. She hadn’t joined because she was against love, which she still wanted. </p><p>She didn’t know if Reyna wanted it. Thalia hoped so because it was her personal experience that coming home to someone was the therapy you could get for a demigod. As she passed through Temple Hill, she offered a prayer to Artemis, sort of a “thanks for everything, and please wish me luck” two-in-one combo. </p><p>Since she was quite literally searching for love, she considered shooting a prayer to Aphrodite, but she wasn’t exactly on good terms with the goddess. She liked Piper though. </p><p>As she approached the villa, Thalia knocked but received no answer. She peered through the glass, and her eyes widened as she saw red drops of liquid glistening upon the tile floor like a crimson trail of tears. </p><p>Thalia felt a slicing pain on her forearm and looked down to see slashes coming closer to her radial artery. She paled. In her head it felt like Kronos was there, slowing time so her heart could jackhammer against her ribs five times faster than the pace of the world.</p><p>She summoned Aegis and braced it against the glass window panes of Reyna’s house. She took the bronze butt of her spear and smashed it against the glass before squeezing through. </p><p>Thalia followed the blood drops on the floor before she arrived at the scene of the crime. </p><p>Her rapidly beating heart stopped, for there, laying on the floor, was Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano, bleeding from the wrist with a knife in the other hand. She wasn’t breathing, and Thalia felt her life force begin to wane. </p><p>“No!” Thalia screamed. She ran and slid onto her knees, hunched over Reyna’s body. The former Hunter grabbed desperately for the toilet paper and began to use it as a tourniquet, staining the soft white with harsh red. </p><p>“Please don’t leave,” she cried. “Please don’t, I left you once, I can’t live without you again.” Thalia took Reyna’s head and cradled it in her lap, wetting her soulmate’s l face with tears. </p><p>“Don’t you remember the promise I made? When I died and you sang to me, without even knowing who I was? Do you remember what I said? I said that ‘I’ll find you one day. I don’t care if I’m banished to the depths of hell. I will never stop looking for you. And I’ll never stop loving…’ </p><p>Thalia continued her voice barely above a whisper. “I never got to finish then, but I will do it now. I’ll never stop loving you, Reyna. I swear it on the River Styx.”</p><p>Thalia stayed like that, cradling Reyna, protecting her from anything and everything that would ever come to hurt her, silently crying and repeating her love for her to a soulmate that couldn’t even hear it.</p>
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<a name="section0015"><h2>15. But That Was When I Ruled The World</h2></a>
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    <p>Reyna had always hated dreams. In a way, they were worse than nightmares, because at least nightmares had always been honest. In her dream, she was being cared for by a girl with freckles and choppy black hair. </p><p>Her eyes turned startlingly on Reyna, their blue vividly reminding Reyna of the harbors near San Juan which she used to swim in. “Silly you,” her voice soothed, strangely fuzzy. “You aren’t supposed to be out of bed yet.” She gently pushed Reyna back into the bedroom of her villa. </p><p>Dozens of questions milled through her head. Was that Thalia Grace? What was she doing here? Why were her sheets bloody? Why was Reyna’s forearm covered in gauze? Had she… Oh no. No. </p><p>Reyna bolted up, her mind suddenly clear. She looked at Thalia, who was studying her with concern. “No…” she whispered hoarsely. Her teary eyes met Thalia’s. “I couldn’t have… could I?” <br/>Thalia sat down on the bed with her, grasping her hand reassuringly and pulling her in close for a hug. Reyna started to cry, letting the tears fall freely for the first time in literal years. </p><p>After a while, Reyna finally pulled away from Thalia, who studied her for a moment before speaking. “Reyna,” she began, “you are aware of the existence of soulmates, correct?”</p><p>Reyna nodded, her heart already sinking. “I’m yours.” Reyna stared at Thalia for so long, she could’ve sworn the clock’s second hand had moved significantly. </p><p>Thalia scratched the back of her head, her cheeks visibly flushed. “Erm, is that OK? Or…” she trailed off, clearly uncomfortable. </p><p>Reyna was so happy, she couldn’t breathe. She tackled Thalia in a hug, ignoring the pain shooting through her. “Of course it’s OK!”, the praetor exclaimed. </p><p>Thalia laughed after a few moments, cuddling Reyna. “Well, that’s a relief.” Reyna melted in Thalia’s embrace, beginning to drift off in a hazy sleep. Before she was completely gone, she heard Thalia whisper something. </p><p>“Well, that’s good, because I would never stop loving you either way.”</p><p>Seven Months Later<br/>	“OK, what’s the problem this time?” Reyna questioned, glancing up from her paperwork as Thalia entered the room. Thalia pouted. “It’s your birthday, and you didn’t warn me!”</p><p>Reyna gaped, taken aback. She hadn’t remembered it was her birthday. She glanced at her calendar. March 10th. Yep, Reyna was turning 16 today. Thalia had turned sixteen a few months ago, now that she had given up being a hunter. </p><p>“Oh,” she managed. “I sort of, well, forgot. I haven’t celebrated my birthday in years.” She shot Thalia an apologetic look. </p><p>“And that changes right now,” Thalia informed her. Reyna rolled her eyes, but she was still smiling. “How did you even find out?” Thalia grinned. “I talked to the Oracle.”  Reyna stared, impressed at the lengths her soulmate would go to just to humiliate her. </p><p>“Well, then, what do you have in mind?” Reyna teased. “Well,” said Thalia, linking their hands together. She shot Reyna a soft smile. “I was thinking that if you had a minute, why don’t we go and talk about it somewhere only we know?”</p>
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